British technology mogul Mike Lynch was declared dead on Thursday after his body was discovered in the wreckage of a luxury yacht, which sank earlier this week off the coast of Sicily during a storm. The 59-year-old was a significant player in the UK’s technology sector also known as the British Bill Gates. He had gathered pals on the yacht to celebrate his recent acquittal in a critical US fraud trial.
The 56-meter-long British-flagged Bayesian superyacht was anchored off Porticello near Palermo when it caught in a sudden storm. The yacht, carrying 22 passengers and crew members, disappeared beneath the waves within minutes. Rescuers discovered Lynch’s body on Thursday, and the bodies of the four other people who died were found on Wednesday. The search for Hannah, Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, is ongoing. Among the other victims were Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, with Jonathan being a non-executive chair of Morgan Stanley International, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, along with his wife, Neda Morvillo. The tragedy has left many British business and legal communities in mourning.
Fifteen people, including Lynch’s wife and a 1-year-old girl, survived the disaster. Rescuers discovered the body of the yacht’s chef, Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, near the wreck shortly after the incident. His wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued. Despite the chaotic and terrifying situation, rescuers brought the survivors to safety, although the search for Hannah Lynch continues. Authorities transported the bodies of those who perished to a nearby hospital morgue for identification and further investigation. Mike Lynch was declared dead, marking a tragic end to the life of one of the UK’s most influential tech entrepreneurs.The tragic sinking of the Bayesian has shocked many, with the rescue operation still ongoing.
